Fabric 101: Charmeuse

Charmeuse is a satin fabric characterized by being sleek and elegant. It is shiny on one side and matte on the other. Traditionally, charmeuse was made using silk. However, it’s more common to find it made from polyester or even rayon nowadays since these are much cheaper alternatives.

Because of its elegant appearance, charmeuse is most often used for evening wear and refined, classy clothing. It is also used for some sleepwear, such as lingerie and sleep gowns, and more recently has become popular in the use of bedsheets and pillowcases.

Fabric	Charmeuse
Texture?	Smooth and sleek
Stretch?	Does not stretch (unless the fiber content contains spandex)
Heavy or light?	Lightweight
Stiff or drape?	Flowy drape
Nap?	No nap
Typical fiber content?	Traditionally silk, but now frequently made of polyester too
Opaque or sheer?	Typically opaque
Shiny?	Charmeuse is shiny on one side and matte on the other
Fraying?	Most charmeuse fabrics will fray fairly easily
Pilling?	Usually not prone to pilling, polyester more likely to pill than silk
Cool or warm weather?	Can be used for either cool or warm-weather garments
What to make?	Elegant dresses, men’s ties, undergarments and lingerie, pajamas, high-end bedding
What needle to use?	Use a microtex needle with charmeuse

What kind of fabric is charmeuse?

Charmeuse is a type of silky, satin fabric. It is a little denser than most other types of traditionally silk fabric but still maintains a beautiful flowy drape. It has a very classy look that doesn’t cling around the body but also isn’t stiff or uncomfortable. Charmeuse fabric is known for having a sheen or shine on the front face of the fabric while being matte on the back. 

What can you make with charmeuse fabric?

Charmeuse is most often used for women’s evening wear and cocktail dresses. It can also be used for other nice-looking blouses, dresses, and skirts. The elegant look and feel of the fabric make it ideal for high-end clothing. Charmeuse is also sometimes used for accessories on high-end menswear clothing, such as ties and handkerchiefs. The other common usages of charmeuse include lingerie and luxury bed sheets and pillowcases.

Properties of charmeuse fabric

• Texture: Charmeuse fabric is silky soft and smooth. The reverse surface has a little more texture but is still pretty soft. Overall, it’s a very comfortable texture that feels good against the skin. Polyester charmeuse has a slightly more plastic-like feel, especially if it’s lower quality.
• Weight: Charmeuse fabric is lightweight. It’s not lightweight enough to be sheer, but it still feels like a featherweight when you’re wearing the material. Silk charmeuse tends to feel more lightweight than synthetic charmeuse.
• Drape: Charmeuse material has a beautiful, flowy drape. It’s not slinky and doesn’t cling to the body, but instead is quite elegant and airy. Polyester charmeuse will have a slightly more structured drape than silk.
• Fiber composition: Traditional charmeuse is made from silk. In the high-fashion world, silk charmeuse is still used. However, synthetic charmeuse is much more common nowadays. Usually, synthetic charmeuse is made with 100% polyester fiber. Rayon charmeuse is also becoming more common.
• Opacity: Charmeuse is almost always completely opaque. The weave is tight enough that light does not get through. It’s possible to find light-colored charmeuse fabric that’s semi-sheer, but usually, this is a sign that the material is low quality.
• Shine: Charmeuse has a glossy, shiny surface on the front wide of the fabric, while being matte on the other.
• Fraying: Charmeuse fabric frays quite a bit. While it’s certainly not the worst type of fabric I’ve ever worked with in the fraying department, I do recommend being careful not to over-handle your fabric and pattern pieces.
• Durability: Charmeuse is a rather delicate fabric that is prone to snagging. The high-gloss side of the fabric can also lose it’s luster in the laundry if you’re not careful with it.
• Wrinkling: Silk charmeuse will wrinkle, but usually, it doesn’t get heavy creases. Polyester charmeuse is less prone to wrinkling, but if you have the fabric folded in storage for a long time, it can cause distinct creases that are difficult to remove.
• Breathability: While lightweight, most charmeuse fabric is not very breathable and can be uncomfortable to wear in extreme heat. Rayon and silk charmeuse are much more breathable than polyester.

How to sew with charmeuse fabric

Charmeuse fabric is not all that easy to sew with. The material is both slippery and finely woven, which makes it difficult to line the fabric up correctly and more prone to damage from the needles and pins you use. 

If you’re new to sewing as a hobby, I don’t recommend using charmeuse for your first few projects, since these extra challenges will make the learning process so much more difficult. When you are ready to start sewing with some more difficult types of fabric, use these tips to give you success with charmeuse:

• Use a straight stitch plate to keep the sewing machine from “munching” on the fabric. (you need to find a straight stitch plate that fits your specific machine)
• Switch to a microtex or extra sharp needle when sewing with charmeuse. This will help to prevent puckering around your seam line.
• Use extra sharp pins, or even non-pin sewing clips when sewing your pattern pieces together. The charmeuse fabric does not always heal well when meaning the pinholes you make will still be visible after you’ve finished.
• Use a slightly shorter stitch length (around 1.5 to 2mm). This will give the material a slightly stronger seam that is less likely to pucker
• Always press on the reverse side to avoid damaging the delicate shiny side of the fabric.
• Consider using a French seam finish to enclose the raw edges of the seams.

How to care for charmeuse fabric

The way you care for your charmeuse fabric and garment depends on the type of fiber used. Polyester charmeuse is fairly durable and easy to care for. You can add this to your regular laundry routine and you’re unlikely to come across any major problems since polyester is durable, unlikely to shrink, and unlikely to stain. You may still want to use a mesh laundry bag or wash the garment inside out to protect the delicate shiny side of the fabric.

However, silk charmeuse will require much more care than the synthetic alternative. You may want to have your silk charmeuse garments dry-cleaned if you’re looking for the easiest way to care for them. However, with a little extra effort on your end, you can hand wash your silk charmeuse garments at home too.